While there are a variety of way to use kratom, one of the most common and effective of these is kratom tea. Tea has a variety of different benefits and drawbacks in comparison to other methods of use which contribute to its uniqueness. Together with chewing leaves, it is one of the most common methods of kratom preparation for those in Southeast Asia.

For those who don’t have access to chewing fresh kratom leaves, this method has been a popular choice for a variety purposes and is fairly easy for anyone to prepare with good results. There are a variety of different pros and cons of tea use, as well as recipes that have made drinking it more enjoyable, as it is quite bitter.

Kratom Tea Effects

In comparison to powder methods, kratom tea has a somewhat different profile of effects. In general, the experience has been found to be more stimulating with kratom tea. Additionally, the pain-relieving effects are very slightly reduced when it is consumed in this manner. Interestingly enough, likely because of the rapid absorption and digestion, many claim the mood-boosting and euphoric effects are increased in comparison to the standard effects of kratom, especially on an empty stomach.

Because of this, this method of preparation may not be the best for those who are looking for sedation and optimum pain relief; however, those looking for increased energy, mood-boosting effects can benefit largely from this method. Interestingly enough, the infamous “wobbles” can be entirely avoided with kratom tea, whereas as consuming the whole leaf straight can occasionally give unpleasant side effects.

Some seek to get the best of both worlds, and so brew kratom tea and consume the leftover powder along with it in order to get both the quick-acting mood boost as well as the pain-killing and sedating effects at around the 1 hour mark, due to digestion speed. Because of the ordeal of drinking bitter kratom tea as well as consuming the powder, sometimes known as kratom powder tea, some may find this method difficult; however, it has been a favorite for many others.

Anyone who is looking for a surplus of great information and user experiences can visit resources such as Erowid.org, which contains a surplus of information on kratom user experiences.

Preparation

While the method of preparation varies from person to person and country to country, there are a few guidelines that can help understand how it is made without loss of alkaloid content. Powder, or leaves, should be mixed into simmering water and kept at a stable temperature. For kratom tea made from powder, the time needed to steep is much shorter than that of dried leaves, typically only 10 to 15 minutes. With leaves, it is necessary to let them steep for closer to 30 to 40 minutes for best results. With powder, the sign that the steeping is near to finish is when the powder no longer sits on the top of the water.

Separating the liquid from powder, or leaves, is easier than commonly assumed. With leaves, one can simply use traditional straining techniques. With powder, once allowed to cool, the powder will naturally sink to the bottom when allowed to cool. At this point, one can simply pour the tea off of the top.

The Taste

Of course — taste. The test of kratom tea devotion. For many, especially those accommodated to the artificially-flavored, hyper-sugared food-life, the taste of it can be intimidating. Kratom tea tastes like an extremely earthy, extremely potent green or oolong. Yes, it is very bitter, but over time it’s easy to get accommodated to it, pavlovian style.

Recipes

Sadly, there isn’t much information on how to mask this taste available besides what has been compiled from very select sources. One of the most effective ways to improve the taste of kratom is chai mix. Although it was only an experiment at first, the results were astonishing. Kratom in addition to the already spicy and earthy taste of chai blend fantastically, using a decent amount of milk and sugar is necessary and can actually be enjoyable. The trick for this method is to condense the kratom liquid down to around 3 to 4 ounces before mixing it with chai.

There are a variety of other kratom tea recipes that can help improve taste, one that I’ve seen used commonly is to chill the kratom tea, add ice and add one of many flavorings, such as those that are available for purchase at coffee shops. One of the best flavorings for this purpose is a raspberry flavoring common in Poland, which can be commonly found at Polish stores — it can help dramatically reduce kratom’s bitter taste.

While we don’t condone or support ingestion, it is an interesting topic historically, culturally and chemically. Kratom tea has been an effective preparation method for anyone who prefers a more stimulating and euphoric kratom experience. However, because of the minor reduction of pain-killing effects and less sedation, some have found this preparation a less-suitable option.